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Torn-up lawns, shredded boulevards — damage left by road and sidewalk plows abounds in London, after its longest winter in 20 years. The upside? It could have been much worse if not for the brutal cold. Brian Wishart reports

THE COMPLAINTS

Oddly, after a winter that dumped 20% more snow on London than it gets on average, and lasted much longer, complaints about damaged sod are running about average. Of course, not everyone calls in. City hall typically fields a few hundred damage calls a year. This year, 368 people have called in, says city roads manager John Parsons.

THE SNOW

Most Londoners don’t need the measurements to remember the brutal winter that was, not with dying, frozen remnants of some snowbanks still hanging on. But for the record, we had 237.5 cm of snow, compared to 194.3 cm in an average winter, says Geoff Coulson of Environment Canada.

COLD COMFORT

As you try to whip your lawn into shape this spring, flattening out the tattered or turned-up edges hit by plows, be thankful for the record-breaking cold — the worst since 1977/78 — that seized the region in January and February. The ground was frozen so hard, chances are that protected your lawn from steel plow blades.

WICKED CURVES

While many Londoners put up stakes to mark their lawns, plow operators can still have trouble figuring out where pavement ends and turf begins. The worst areas, with the most frequently damaged lawns, are along curved sidewalks and roads.

PATCH JOBS

By the time the city gets around to complaints about damaged sod, homeowners have usually repaired the turf themselves. There is no sod-repair crew, but workers sent to fix water lines or roads will tend to damaged sod in the same area. Since the ground needs to be warm, patch jobs usually take until May.

WHAT GETS PLOWED:

1,465: Km. of sidewalk in London

3,500: Km. of road

DAMAGES:

$10,000 to $20,000: Annual tab to repair damaged lawns.

Who to call: City hall environmental services, 519-661-4570

— Brian Wishart is a graduating journalism student from University of King’s College, Halifax, interning with The Free Press​